I’m obsessed with my Spotify profile. From perfectly descriptive playlist titles to deciding whether the cover art should come from the depths of my camera roll or Pinterest boards, I spend hours curating my image online. And I’m not the only one.
In the past couple of years, listening to music has developed societal parameters (that shouldn’t exist). Social spheres suggest there are “right” and “wrong” musical tastes, and certain opinions are deemed better than others. These judgments have created social pressure, barriers to entry, and selectivity amongst the music community.
Although Spotify recently introduced a new message feature, it’s not a primary form of social media. Only celebrities, influencers, and artists garner large followings on the app. So, who is the meticulously crafted profile for?
Music has forever been a vessel for human connection. Engaging in casual music circles and raving about your favorite artist’s new release in your bestie’s DMs elicits a unique sense of excitement. Making and discussing music brings people together and fosters deeper connections. Many people claim music is a secret sixth love language, and I think they’re right. It’s validating to like the same song, album, or artist as someone because it brings about instant closeness, without extra effort. Early on in friendships, typically on Day 1, I tend to share my Spotify with the other person to let them in on a piece of my life. My playlists showcase my personality, and the songs within are a window into my thoughts and feelings. I express myself through this profile by displaying parts I want others to see and appreciate! After all, everyone wants to feel seen.
Social acceptance makes us happy. In this mysterious world, the inclusion and validation of each other’s feelings, opinions, and choices is important! For example, my pursuit in most relationships is a search for understanding because it empowers me to feel seen by someone else. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs further reinforces this idea, demonstrating that feeling loved and belonging are a prerequisite for high self-esteem.
Parallel to the rise of social media is the rise of judgment. Being able to share negative opinions while hiding behind our screens is easy because we aren’t held accountable for our actions. Here’s the fairly critical comment section on a TikTok I saved for music recommendations:
The top comment critiques the user’s choice of genre in a kinder way that seems like an attempt to share music knowledge with the creator. The third comment passes clear judgment on the creator’s perceptions of the indie genre, generalizing the lack of knowledge to everyone except themself, and appearing superior to others by having that knowledge. We, the readers, don’t get to know what indie “means”.
Comment three irks me because music is inherently subjective. Our unique experiences, surroundings, and personas influence the way we perceive the world. Translated to music, we all hear one song in a slightly different way. Whether it’s interpreting the lyrics or picking out certain instruments, everyone notices components they make sense of. There are infinite ideas about all facets of music that come from billions of perspectives. New perspectives can deepen our understanding. That’s what makes sharing music so fun!
This is me sharing music (yay!).
Looking at media consumption on social media, I feel pressure to consume much more than I usually would if I were unplugged. Plenty of TikToks appear on my FYP (for you page) titled “media I consumed this week instead of doomscrolling”, which I enjoy viewing. However, it gets to a point where I become overwhelmed. I feel immense pressure to be a well-cultured person. Swaths of books, movies, and albums I should already know the ins and outs of are constantly flooding toward me. And I should absorb these because they will make me a more interesting person. There is so much media to consume and so little time. Quite frankly, the unique media you choose to consume makes you more interesting, because it says something about what grasps your attention.
Contrary to the media overload, gatekeeping has become a (dare I say) trend online. Some fans of artists have a desire to keep their music to themselves and actively discourage others from listening to and posting about said artist. This is because people like to be part of niche, small communities. Again, this is something that makes us interesting and unique. But there’s an undeniable downside to gatekeeping.
Gatekeeping attempts to restrict access to public media. It fosters exclusivity and superiority within the music community, which has negative impacts in a space intended to be inviting. If someone becomes a new fan of an artist, they wouldn’t want to feel isolated and judged by all previous fans. It takes away social acceptance.
Additionally, fans don’t want these gatekept (?) artists to become mainstream. Mainstream, along with pop music, are two terms that have suddenly become kind of embarrassing concepts to enjoy. If you like popular music, you’re merely a bandwagoner or less intellectual. It’s incredibly pretentious. People who like more underground music are seen as “superior”, and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s the individuality that comes along with it, but to me, this is where the competition comes in. I see many posts from small artists who want to become more popular and share their compositions with the world! Why is the current climate against that?
A phenomenal example of this niche vs. mainstream argument is the Airbuds app. I enjoy the graphics, data collection, and music sharing aspects of the app. However, it drives the competitive aspect of music listening through comparison and judgment made by the Airbuds algorithm itself! It has features called “affirm me” and “roast me” that evaluate whether you’re underground or popular, lame or cool.
Sometimes the affirmations are very validating, like this one I received about listening to “glitchbreak”:
Yes, it made me feel great about myself. But notice how it says the words “you win”, proving that the music I listen to is part of a competitive environment, where there are right and wrong genres to enjoy.
Most other times, the “affirm me” feature provides backhanded compliments, like this one I received about listening to “anti-folk”
I believe the word safe implies that my taste is “basic”, and less nuanced. The anti-folk genre features musicians like Beck, who used to make intentionally nonsensical albums, which I love! Just because the lyrics don’t have a specific meaning doesn’t mean my taste lacks intelligence, or that I lack intelligence.
I definitely receive the “roast me” feature for genres like dream pop, but I don’t have any screenshots of them. Typically, the roasts are reserved for genres with more listeners, and affirmations the opposite.
Another feature Airbuds uses is repeat shaming. When you listen to a song five times or more, the app will sometimes notify all your friends and “expose” you. It frowns upon song repetition (never a bad thing) and attempts to embarrass you in front of your friends. I get nervous to listen to certain songs on Spotify for fear that one of my friends might see and disapprove of my taste, invalidating something I enjoy.
Finally, Airbuds will occasionally tell me that I’m the #1 listener of Men I Trust or Father John Misty for the week. The app employs a rank system that I don’t truly understand, but using numbers for listeners encourages you to compete against other listeners for “the throne”.
Airbuds is a double-edged sword. It collects interesting and validating information, while inviting competition amongst music communities and even close friends.
“Discovering” music is another weapon that shapes the arena. As someone raised on bootleg Beatles vinyls and unreleased songs found on YouTube, I’ve been immersed in the world of being quick to know about music-related content. Arguably the most competitive part of music habits is knowing about music media before others do and being the person to spread the word or recommend it to others. It’s exactly like enjoying something trendy “before it was cool”. It suddenly gives you bragging rights, and ultimately you are the winner if you put someone on to their new favorite song. This validation from sharing music has turned into outdoing each other, which takes away some of the happiness surrounding that shared joy.
Music is supposed to be magical. An incredible form of self-expression and tool for human bonding. The past few years have thickened the competition of music knowledge and changed what it means to have good music taste. The Spotify arena is bad for the music industry, and worse for individual self-esteem. Music is something to be cherished and spread, a tool for forging connections. The nonjudgmental, instant connections sharing music online can produce are hopefully what will cause a cease-fire.